Janice Thompson's Blog, page 24

Battling Thieves

Sword of the Spirit

One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors. David asked the LORD, "Should I go and attack them?" "Yes, go and save Keilah," the LORD told him.  But David's men said, "We're afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don't want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!" So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, "Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines."

David's Battle: Thieves

David certainly knew what it felt like to have things stolen from him.  In his never-ending struggle with Saul, it seemed like something was being stolen from him every time he turned around.  In this case, he got the news that grain was being stolen.  That may not sound like a big deal, but it would be about the same thing as having your pantry or your grocery story robbed today.  It was the food for the people.  David had done battle with the Philistines before, and yet they still bothered him.  His own men didn't want to go down to Keilah and take care of it because they were afraid of the Philistines, but God gave David the courage to not only go – but to take back what rightfully belonged to his people in the first place.

Strategic Questions:

Has anyone ever stolen anything from you?
Have you ever stolen anything from someone (or someplace) else?
Is it possible to "steal" from someone without actually "taking" something?

Putting On Your Armor:

What does it feel like to have something stolen from you?  It's pretty awful, isn't it!  Like David, we often have to face the "enemy" coming in a stealing from us.  Maybe it's someone wanting to cheat off of our paper in school, or perhaps it's someone who actually steals something of great value from us.  At any rate, God's heart is broken when we are robbed.  So how should we handle it?  Should we get angry and take revenge?  When we read this story about David, it almost seems that way.  The difference is, God instructed David to do what he did.  The answer for us is the same.  We have to listen carefully to the voice and God and respond as He directs us.  He would never ask us to hurt anyone else.  It is more likely He would want us to have the courage to face the problem head-on, and to forgive those who have stolen from us.

S.O.S. (Speaking to Our Savior in prayer)

Dear Father,

I ask You to forgive me for the things I've stolen in my life.  Please help me to recognize that taking something that isn't mine is wrong.  No excuses.  Help me to forgive others who've stolen from me, too.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Which Side Are You On?  (Thought for the Day)

Am I a thief?

 

The Dance of Strength

Swingin' Scripture: II Samuel 22:1-4

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:  "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.  He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior- from violent men you save me.  I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

David's Dance:

David's strength came from God and God alone.  He had no strength on his own, and he knew it!  That may sound funny when you think about the fact that David was able to slay a giant like Goliath.  But the strength to do that didn't come from within David.  It came from the Lord.  God's strength was always made perfect in David's life.  The Lord was his rock, his fortress.  That's why this song makes so much sense.  David had all trust in God, Who strengthened him.

Questions to Keep You on Your Toes:

Where does your strength come from?
Is God's strength enough for you?
Are you grateful for God's strength?

Set Your Feet to Dancin'

Like David, we often lack strength.  In the scripture we learn that David sang praise songs to God to renew his strength.  When he sang, "the Lord is my rock, my fortress," he really meant it!  What would it take for us to go that far – writing songs of gratefulness to the Lord for his strength?  What has God done for you today?  Is His strength made perfect in you?  Do you feel stronger knowing that God is on your side?  If not, you can take care of that today.  Pray for strength, then thank God when it comes!

On Your Knees, Please!

Dear God,

Thank You so much for giving me strength when I'm weak.  I know that my strength is made perfect in You.  Without You, I am able to do nothing.  With You, I can accomplish anything!  Thank You, Lord!  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

And All That Jazz… (thought for the day)

Physical strength is nothing compared to spiritual strength!

 

Battling Exhaustion

Sword of the Spirit

When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was warmly greeted by Shobi son of Nahash of Rabbah, an Ammonite, and by Makir son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and by Barzillai of Gilead from Rogelim. They brought sleeping mats, cooking pots, serving bowls, wheat and barley flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, honey, butter, sheep, and cheese for David and those who were with him. For they said, "You must all be very tired and hungry and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness."  (To find out more about David's battle with exhaustion, read II Sam 17)

David's Battle: Exhaustion

David knew what it felt like to be completely worn out.  The good news is, whenever he reached the point of sheer exhaustion, God always seemed to provide all that he needed to get some rest.  In this story, he and his men needed food, drink and sleep.  They had been on the move through the wilderness for quite some time.  Ever feel like that – like you can't go on one more step without some food and rest?  Well, God provided.  David didn't even really have to fight to get the rest he needed this time.  God just saw what he needed and provided for it.  He sent men to provide all of the food they could ever want – even the pots and pans to cook it in!  He also provided mats to sleep on.  David was able to get all of the rest he needed because of the generosity of these good men who listened to God.

Strategic Questions:

What one thing did David need above all else?
Can you think of a time where God miraculously provided what you needed so that you could get some rest?
What is one of the side effects of exhaustion?

Putting On Your Armor:

Do you ever get really tired?  Do you have days when you just wish you could stay in bed all day and pull the covers up over your head?  God understands your exhaustion!  He didn't create your body to go, go, go without the proper amount of rest.  Like David, we need to take the time to refresh our body by feeding it the right kinds of food.  We also need to get enough sleep at night to feel good the next day.  If we don't take care of ourselves, how will we ever have the strength to carry the gospel message out to those who need to hear it?  We can't let Satan rob us of our strength.  We must keep our bodies in good shape so that we can do the work the Lord has for us.

S.O.S. (Speaking to Our Savior in prayer)

Dear Lord,

Please forgive me for not taking better care of myself.  Show me how to rest, Lord.  Show me how to care for this body that You have created.  In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Which Side Are You On?  (Thought for the Day)

Do I rob others of their rest?

 

The Dance of Discipline

Swingin' Scripture: I Kings 2:1 – 4

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.  "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

David's Dance:

Discipline.  To lead a disciplined life means that you are controlled and obedient.  It also means that you submit to authority.  In David's life, he understood that the Lord was in total control.  He submitted to God's authority in most situations.  Even when he messed up, David always attempted to turn things around.  Why?  Because he understood that leading a disciplined life could have great consequences.  Being undisciplined would surely result in bad things.  Having order in his life brought strength to David and he prospered as a King and as a believer in the Lord.

Questions to Keep You on Your Toes:

Define discipline
Is there a difference between being disciplined and legalistic?
How can discipline lead to prosperity?

Set Your Feet to Dancin'

Have you ever known someone who was completely undisciplined?  Their life was probably a mess, right?  The good thing about leading a disciplined life is that you influence others around you.  When they watch you walking in God's way and keeping His commands, they can't help but notice that something about you is different.  Most people aren't disciplined and they're curious when they meet someone who is.  Like David, you can lead a disciplined life by paying attention to the things you read in the Bible and by obeying the Lord.  And the benefits are great!  The Word of God says you can prosper in all you do if you follow after God with a disciplined heart.

On Your Knees, Please!

Dear God,

I need to be more disciplined.  I pray that You will give me the desire to discipline myself and also give me the strength, by Your Spirit, to walk in Your ways.  Thank You for forgiving me for the times when I haven't been disciplined enough.  I praise You, Lord.  Amen.

And All That Jazz… (thought for the day)

"Disciple" comes from the word "discipline"

 

Battling Enemies

Sword of the Spirit

O LORD, I have so many enemies; so many are against me.  So many are saying, "God will never rescue him!" But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high.  I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain.

I lay down and slept.  I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.

David's Battle: His Enemies

Even though David was a great guy and loved people, people didn't always love him.  Time and time again, enemies rose up against him.  It seemed like every time he would do something great, another enemy would rise up to make life difficult for him.  But David understood something about fighting the enemy that we could all stand to learn.  Maybe it went all the way back to his fight with the giant, Goliath.  David understood that God was on his side.  The Lord always heard his cries, even when he felt completely alone.  Here's the really cool part… Even when all of David's enemies lined up and harassed him, David learned not to be afraid.  In the face of his enemies, he conquered his fear!  Talk about fighting like a King!  A good king always has to rise above his fears and act with strength.  David did that!  Besides, he knew that it was just a matter of time before his enemies were disgraced.  They would end up embarrassed and ashamed, and he would end up victorious.

Strategic Questions:

What is the worst kind of damage our enemies can do to us?
How do we "fight" our enemies without actually fighting with them?
Is it possible to turn an enemy into a friend?

Putting On Your Armor:

The Bible is pretty clear about what it takes to fight our enemies.  We aren't strong enough, in ourselves, to do this.  We have to trust God to fight this battle.  Sometimes we do the wrong thing be fighting our enemies in the wrong way.  We get caught up in the battle and things get ugly – on both sides.  This is where we have to play it cool.  We can't ever tear others down in order to build ourselves up.  That's not the way it works.

S.O.S. (Speaking to Our Savior in prayer)

Dear Father,

Sometimes I feel like I have more enemies than friends!  Please remind me that you are a friend who sticks closer than a brother and that your will always be on my side!  Help me to know how to deal with my enemies, and to remember that you love them as much as you love me.  Thank You, Lord!  Amen.

Which Side Are You On?  (Thought for the Day)

Have I created any enemies?

The Dance of Holiness

Swingin' Scripture: Psalm 29:2 – 4

Give honor to the LORD for the glory of his name.  Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.  The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea.  The God of glory thunders.  The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.  The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

 

 

 

David's Dance:

After all of the mistakes that David made in his life, you would think that he would have a hard time coming into the presence of such a holy God.  The really cool thing about David is this – he never gave up.  Even when he made mistakes.  Even when he broke God's heart.  He did everything he could to make things right again then continued to pursue holiness.  It wasn't always easy but he never stopped trying to live by high standards.   Why?  Because David understood that God is holy.   The Bible says that we are to be holy as God is holy.  Even though he knew he could never be perfect, David continued to try to live a life of holiness.

Questions to Keep You on Your Toes:

What does the word 'holy' mean?
Is it possible to be holy as God is holy?
Why is it so difficult to live a life of holiness?

Set Your Feet to Dancin'

If David, a child after God's own heart, struggled to be holy – then why should we be surprised when we struggle?  Sometimes it's hard to live a life of holiness when everyone around you seems to be doing their own thing.  But it is possible.  And it's so important, because our holy God is counting on us to keep our standards high.  He gave us biblical examples of how to live.  Of course, to be holy, you have to want to be holy.  We get what we ask for.   Next time you're struggling with holiness, just remind yourself, "I need to be holy as God is holy.  I need to do all I can to come into His presence with clean hands and a pure heart."

On Your Knees, Please!

Dear God,

I don't feel holy most of the time.  I ask you to forgive me for my sins and cleanse my heart.  Then, Lord, I ask You to show me how to live a life of holiness.  In spite of all obstacles.  Help me to be an example to others.  In Your Son's Name, I pray.  Amen.

And All That Jazz… (thought for the day)

Holiness starts with a right attitude

Battling Betrayal

Sword of the Spirit

After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty footmen to run ahead of him. He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. Then Absalom would say, "You've really got a strong case here! It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear it. I wish I were the judge. Then people could bring their problems to me, and I would give them justice!" And when people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn't let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and embraced them. So in this way, Absalom stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.

David's Battle:

David's son Absalom stole the hearts of the people from his father in a really tricky way.  He acted like he cared more about the problems of the people than his father did.  He wanted David to make him judge.  He was power hungry.  But David didn't let Absalom get away with this.  He held him accountable for his actions.  He had to fight this fight against betrayal very carefully, for Absalom was his own flesh and blood.  That's where it got really tricky.  He used wisdom to stop Absalom in his tracks.  When all was said and done, David lost his son.  He wasn't able to stop him from doing the wrong thing.  But in his heart, David knew he had handled the situation in a godly way.  He fought this fight with honor.

Strategic Questions:

How do you respond when someone betrays you?
Is there a "right" way to fight betrayal?
Is there a "wrong" way to fight betrayal?

Putting On Your Armor:

Better strap on your breastplate of righteousness if you want to fight this battle the way King David did!  He didn't do anything underhanded or sneaky to get back at Absalom.  He was pure and upright in all of his ways.

S.O.S. (Speaking to Our Savior in prayer)

Dear Lord,

Please help me to forgive those who have betrayed me.  Also, please help me not to betray others.  Let me learn from David that we are all sinners saved by Your grace.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Which Side Are You On?  (Thought for the Day)

Which is harder – to be betrayed, or to face the consequences of betraying someone else?

 

The ACFW Conference: Mountains and Valleys

Good morning everyone! I hope you're having a happy Thursday. I'm a wee bit late getting this post up because I've been sick this week. Things are on the upswing, however!

I wanted to share from my heart about some of my ACFW conference experiences. I know that many of you are planning to "Meet Me in St. Louis" (Woo-hoo! LOVE that song!) and you're not sure what to expect out of the conference. You're nervous, excited, hyper, exhausted (from working on your manuscript) and basically frazzled.

Deep breath.

Let me start by saying that God always seems to time these ACFW conferences perfectly. It might not seem that way, but it's true.

My first (Houston) ACFW conference experience was a rush. Because I live in the Houston area, I didn't stay at the hotel (big mistake). I drove back and forth. This would've been fine, but my car broke down. I managed to hobble back and forth from house to hotel with my car dying all the way…every day! Still, I wouldn't have missed the conference for the world. What great teaching! I still remember Gail Martin's class, to this day! And Robin Lee Hatcher's prayer time at the end of the conference…wow! Talk about God's perfect timing!

My next (Nashville) conference, I was terribly sick. At the time I didn't realize I was in a flare with an autoimmune disease. I just knew I'd been terribly ill. Somehow I managed to board the plane (alone) from Houston to Nashville. I asked for the very back seat because I was so sick. When I arrived at the conference, I spent much of the time in my hotel room with my roomie (Martha Rogers) tending to me. I managed to crawl out of bed long enough to find out that my novel, Hurricane (about the Galveston hurricane of 1900) took second place in the historical category of the BOTY contest. Talk about a dose of vitamins! That, and the amazing class Brandilyn Collins taught on backstory, were enough to help me shake off my illness and perk up. Add to that some amazing stories from our speaker, Karen Ball, and I was off and running!

My next (Dallas, 2006) conference was bittersweet. We buried my father the day before we left for the conference. I arrived at the conference in a wash of tears. There, in that place, God used Rachel Hauck and the worship team to minister hope and healing to me in a way I'd never before experienced. What a precious, precious year that was, and how I leaned on my godly, anointed writing friends to see me through!

Linda Kozar, winning Mentor of the Year!

My next (Dallas, 2007) conference, my precious friend Linda Kozar won Mentor of the Year! Talk about making us proud! She totally deserved it because she always pours herself out on behalf of authors.

Marcia Gruver, getting her first contract at ACFW!

And guess what?! The good news just kept coming! My other crit partner, Marcia Gruver, got her very first contract with Barbour! I've never seen anyone so shocked in my life! That contract really propelled Marcia's career. She's now sold many, many more books. (See how the conference can change ONE life?!)

My next (Minneapolis, 2008) conference was a whirlwind! Just a few days before we were to fly out of Houston, Hurricane Ike hit! Our airport was shut down and all flights canceled. I can't tell you what a mess we encountered, trying to arrange flights. But I HAD to get there. Rachel Hauck had asked me to do a devotion the first night AND I was teaching for the very first time (Plot Shots/plotting). It took a village to figure out a plan, but Kathleen Y'Barbo, Linda Kozar and I managed to get a flight that took us into Minneapolis earlier than planned. My precious friend (Rosemary Morton) happens to live in Minneapolis, so she put us up for the night. I had some amazing experiences at the conference and loved the event at the Mall of the Americas.My class went well and so did the devotion. The icing on the cake? I won the ACFW Mentor of the Year that year! I was so busy listening to the Polka music coming from the adjoining banquet room that I almost missed hearing them call my name!

My next (Denver) conference offered me some precious time with friends, as well as great classes. A couple of my books finaled in BOTY/Carol Awards, which is always fun. And I had an awesome time chatting with my agent, Chip MacGregor. But my strongest memory

Two of my favorite people in the world, Chip MacGregor and Anita Higman!

happened in the van on the way back to the airport, where Eileen Key (that precious woman) presented the gospel message to our driver in the most natural, loving way I'd ever seen. Talk about sharing your faith!

Friends, prepare yourselves. The conference experience will be filled with high highs and low lows. There will be reasons to cry and reasons to celebrate. If your emotions tend to run the gamut, prepare yourselves! God wants to meet you at the ACFW conference. I can promise you, from my own experience, that He will use the experience to both refine and cleanse you. There will be moments when jealousy creeps in and there will be moments when you feel about as important as a flea. But isn't that the point? This is all about exalting Him, not us. Once we shake off our insecurities and realize that He longs to use us, then we're free to soar.

So, where are you today, writers? On a mountaintop? In a valley? Prepare yourself! The ACFW conference will have you leaping mountains, carrying backpacks through the valley, and soaring new heights…all in a matter of a few days. Start praying now. God will meet you there…I promise!

The Dance of Kindness

Swingin' Scripture: II Samuel 9:1-3

David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "Your servant," he replied.  The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?"  Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet."

David's Dance:

After King Saul died, David decided to perform a random act of kindness.  He would find someone from Saul's family and treat them kindly.  Why?  Because David had been such a good friend of Saul's son Jonathan.  When David's men located Jonathan's son, a fellow by the name of Mephibosheth, they learned that he was crippled in both feet.  Imagine.  This poor guy had lost his father and his grandfather and was also struggling with a deformity.  After all the trouble Saul had caused David, David could have been really rude to Mephibosheth.  He could have said, "Would you like to know about all the trouble your grandfather caused me?"  Instead, he chose to show kindness.  He gave his new friend all the land that had belonged to Saul and told him that he was always welcome to eat at his table.  When Mephibosheth heard this, he said, "Who is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"  This is the great part.  David never treated him like a dog.  He always treated him with great kindness and Mephibosheth was always grateful.

Questions to Keep You on Your Toes:

Why is it so difficult to show kindness to some people?
Is it ever wrong to be kind to someone?
What are the effects of kindness?

Set Your Feet to Dancin'

Have you ever had trouble showing kindness to people?  Have you noticed that some people are easy to be kind to and others aren't?  Like David, we often encounter people, like Saul, who are almost impossible to be kind to.  However, we can choose to offer a kind word, even to those who don't treat us like we want to be treated.  When David chose to live this way, he gained a new friend.  Not only that, he learned that living a life of kindness made sense.  After all, God treats us with kindness.  Why shouldn't we treat each other the same way?

On Your Knees, Please!

Dear God,

I want to perform a random act of kindness today.  Please lead me to someone who needs a smile, a word of encouragement or a friend.  Thank You for always showing kindness to me.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.And All That Jazz… (thought for the day)

Be kind to all kinds of people.

 

Battling Family Problems

Sword of the Spirit (II Sam. 18: 31 – 32)

Then the man from Cush arrived and said, "I have good news for my lord the king. Today the LORD has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you."  "What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he all right?"

And the Cushite replied, "May all of your enemies, both now and in the future, be as that young man is!"  The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to his room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I could have died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son."

David's Battle: Family Problems

David knew what it meant to have family problems.  His own sons were often troublemakers.  When one of them, Amnon, did something awful to his own sister – something that he never should have done – his brother, Absalom, was so angry that he killed him.  Imagine how terrible David must have felt!  He was king at the time, and his own family couldn't even get their act together!  Absalom took off, afraid to come back into the King's presence.  He was a murderer.  It took some time, but David finally learned to forgive Absalom and welcome him back.  However, just about the time he did, his son did something awful again!  He stood outside the gates of the city, talking big about himself, trying to turn the hearts of the people away from David and towards himself.  He managed to get things so stirred up that David ended up fleeing for his life!  In the end, Absalom was killed by David's men, but the whole thing just left David feeling really heartbroken.  He knew that this never should have happened in the first place.  He cried his heart out before God, weeping for Absalom – not just because he was dead, but because he had fallen so far away from God and his own father.  It took time, but David finally recovered from the loss of his sons.  Like the King that he was, he fought this fight with courage and strength.   He refused to let family problems destroy him.

Strategic Questions:

Which do you think was harder – hearing that Absalom had betrayed him, or hearing that Absalom had been killed by his men?
What was Absalom's first mistake?
If Absalom had his life to live over again, what do you suppose he would change?

Putting On Your Armor:

We all know what it's like to struggle with family members, especially those we never seem to get along with.  Like David's sons, we often mistreat our brothers and sisters, often just to get our own way. Sometimes the things we do to each other are absolutely cruel, aren't they?  But how do we stop when we've acted like this for years?  We have to learn to fight this battle with the courage of David.   We don't listen to our parents when they tell us to 'drop it.'   Absalom didn't, and look how his story ended up.  We must learn to let go of our petty differences, or we could end up destroying our own families.  Did you realize that it takes more courage to 'drop' something than to get your own way?  We have to pray for the courage to  face family members with love and peace.

S.O.S. (Speaking to Our Savior in prayer)

Dear Lord,

I thank You for placing me in the family I'm in.  I pray that you will show me how to treat everyone like I should.  Help me to learn from the mistakes that David's sons made so that I don't act like that, myself.  Please help me to know when to let go of things.  Remind me that getting my own way isn't the most important thing.  Thank You, Lord.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Which Side Are You On?  (Thought for the Day)

Am I an Absalom?